


The Ritual of Your Magic Turns Me Into A Believer

by stevieraebarnes



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crack Treated Seriously, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Language, Love Potion/Spell, M/M, Masturbation, Minor Batfam, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:35:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25883701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stevieraebarnes/pseuds/stevieraebarnes
Summary: Dick and Jason get hit by a love curse. (They do not get hit by a love curse.)
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd
Comments: 38
Kudos: 301
Collections: JayDick Summer Exchange 2020





	The Ritual of Your Magic Turns Me Into A Believer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elareine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elareine/gifts).



> For the prompt: secret relationship.

It’s two in the morning when Red Hood responds to a commotion in downtown Gotham.

He launches himself from rooftop to rooftop, then shimmies down a fire escape when he gets close enough to the scene. His proximity to Gotham's latest attack is easy to determine, what with the deafening roar of enormous energy consumed and expended; in and out like the breath of a monster.

Oh, and the light show. The visuals as well as the noise are hard to miss, really.

Jason squints his eyes behind the helmet in an attempt to make out the sight before him. A man stands at the epicenter of the energy storm, regally clad in a long, dark cloak with bell sleeves and a hood, the trim embroidered with gold and gemstones. If this wasn’t Gotham, Jason would assume the guy was in cosplay. But it _is_ Gotham and Jason can see pitting in the asphalt every time the electricity makes contact. It truly is a shame it’s not a cosplay. The guy has a goatee and long flowing hair combed back to showcase his wizard brows and everything.

A blast of lightning lands close to where Jason stands and the heat from the unbridled power is high enough for beads of sweat to escape from his pores. He approaches with caution and does something he is normally loath to do: he puts aside his pride and loner status and calls for backup.

* * *

Nightwing lands next to Red Hood from a graceful bound.

“Huh,” he says, voice louder than normal to speak over the sharp crackling the cloaked guy emits. “Everyone’s costumes seem to gain more and more flourishes each year.”

“Everyone needs an aesthetic,” Jason agrees.

“The wizard persona seems a bit old hat though,” Dick says, and the two vigilantes both step to the right to avoid a blast that hits the pavement where they had just been standing. Then they both enter a ready stance in retaliation.

“So magic?”

“Magic,” Jason agrees. He calls forth his All Blades, where they shimmer into existence until they are cold, hard, and threatening in the palms of his hands. Then Jason begins his assault.

Dick zig zags around the wizard while Jason charges head on, dodging blasts; his left blade held protectively in front of his face, his right blade held straight back behind him. He clashes with the unknown person, the wizard harnessing his energy to parry Jason’s blades. But Jason pushes him back, further and further to where Dick waits for an opportunity. Jason lands a slice on the wizard’s forearm before the villain reacts in anger, blasting Jason backwards with a larger expulsion of energy. He hits the ground on the flat of his back, the air from his chest punched out of him and the back of his helmet connecting with a smack against the solid asphalt. He raises a thumbs up sign to let Nightwing know he’s okay, then hears a grunt from the wizard.

He tips his head up with more strength than it usually takes and watches as Dick dances around the man, landing only hits he knows will do the most damage. Nightwing flits in and out of the wizard’s close range and the lightning strikes too, to hit the soft spots where important organs lie behind. The wizard catches Dick with a blast of energy eventually, and after he stops skidding across the pavement, Dick hops to his feet and pulls his escrima sticks. He lights them up with their built in electrical current.

Looks like Nightwing wants to fight lightning with lightning.

The wizard focuses his complete attention on Dick, his rage over Nightwing using electricity against him holding his maddened gaze. The two strike out at each other, the wizard in anger, Dick in skill. And then Jason joins the equation from behind, his All Blades slashing twin lacerations in a top right to bottom left diagonal motion across the wizard’s back.

The wizard arches in pain, a gasp escaping from his throat as the energy he spews out dissipates in a sudden death. The wizard turns around in a clumsy fashion to face his forgotten enemy.

“You!” he yells when he spots Jason. “Curse you! Curse you both!”

The energy is back, but it’s concentrated in the wizard’s hands while forks of chaotic strikes branch off in a violent fashion. Jason sees the scene before him; he knows what is building in the man's hands and beyond. He sees Nightwing running for him, hears the _No! Hood!_ the man yells but it is slow and far away and feels like they appear a full minute after the words leave Nightwing’s lips.

A beam of light hits Jason's torso just as he turns to seek cover and a second shot then hits Nightwing as he rounds the wizard in an attempt to protect Jason. _That was dumb, Dick,_ Jason vaguely thinks as he sails through the air before he hits a building’s exterior with a thud. Dick’s trajectory arcs him twenty feet down the street, but he rolls to a stop in a way that leaves Jason hopeful that he might not be too seriously injured.

There’s another burst of electricity, brighter than anything he’s seen yet this night, and it consumes the wizard until he’s engulfed in pure energy and then gone. Jason's helmet automatically adjusts to the sudden darkness after calibrating to the brightness and Jason sweeps the street with his eyes to confirm the wizard is gone. He pushes himself to his feet as gently as he can and makes his way to Dick.

Dick’s head is tilted to the side and his Nightwing suit shows some wear, but the arm and hand draped over his chest rise and fall with shallow breathing and Jason exhales his own breath he was holding. He drops to his knees and looms over the man, then reaches out to examine for injuries.

Dick’s eyes fly open at the touch and he turns his head until his gaze catches Jason’s form over him, his eyes wide with concern.

“Jay— Hood! I thought, I thought— “

Jason can hear the panic in his voice and he does his best to talk him down. It’s a weird feeling, to be concerned for someone else, another Bat especially. Usually the only feelings he harbors are resentment and jealousy. But Dick has always been honest with Jason and Jason doesn’t begrudge his company like he used to when he was fresh from the Lazarus Pit. Jason finds he wants to do this, wants to comfort Dick, and he unlatches his helmet to set it on the ground next to him so Dick can read the sincerity in his voice. 

He looks Dick in the face and says, “I’m okay. I promise.”

“I saw you get hit and I thought the worst.”

“I’m more concerned about you at the moment.”

“I think I’m okay. Probably just bruised. I got the wind knocked out of me is all.”

“You might have a concussion. I keep telling you, the helmet isn’t just for looks.”

Dick laughs weakly. “So you do. Help me sit up.” He raises a hand to Jason, who takes it and gives a gentle pull.

“How’s that?” Jason asks when Dick is in a sitting position.

“Fine. I’m fine, Hood.” And then, “That asshole warlock.”

Jason laughs, and Dick joins him. It’s a radiant sound, warm and intimate, and when Jason throws his arms around Dick to pull him to himself, Dick presses closer. The laughter turns to quiet, tired gasps as they breathe and exhale against each other.

"You're really okay?"

Jason nods, feeling Dick's hair and skin brush against him as he does so. "I really am."

“I can’t lose you again,” Dick says softly into Jason’s neck.

“Me neither.”

They both pull away from each other, just a little, to acknowledge one another, to lock eyes, and then Jason grips the back of Dick’s head — gently, so gently — tipping him closer until Jason’s mouth lands on Dick’s and Dick tilts and opens slightly as an invitation. Jason doesn’t need a another hint and he kisses with more force, swiping Dick’s full bottom lip with his tongue to elicit a moan from him.

It feels so good; this warmth, this connection, this act of intimacy with one other person who holds his whole attention. Nothing else matters and all Jason wants is to stay right here, clutching Dick to himself and receive his attentions, when the illusion shatters.

Jason and Dick are kissing. That’s not something they do. They’ve never kissed before. They don’t even _like_ each other.

Why are they kissing?

Jason breaks away, leaving them both panting heavily.

“Jay?” Dick asks.

“That fucking wizard.”

“Yeah? But he’s...oh.”

_Oh._

“Oh! Jay, you think?”

“He said he cursed us. We’re under a spell.”

Dick stares at him in shock, then mutters, “Goddamn warlock.”

They continue to stare at each other for a bit, and if Jason stares more in a way that says he’s drinking in everything that is Dick Grayson and less out of surprise over the ridiculous situation they’ve found themselves in, then Jason blames that on the fact he’s been hit by a magic love spell and it’s two in the morning.

No one ever makes good decisions at two in the morning.

* * *

They part ways and Jason doesn’t ask where Dick’s planning on holing up for the night, be it at the Manor or all the way back in Bludhaven. He’s not sure if he can trust himself if he’s honest. Better to brush Dick off in his characteristic gruff manner and pine in secret like usual. No, that’s not right. He doesn’t pine. And especially not for Dick Grayson. He hates that guy. The golden child who can do no wrong, who argues with Jason over everything, who dotes on the other Bats until they too drive Dick crazy and then he throws his arms in the air and makes secret faces at Jason behind the others’ backs to let off some steam. And when Jason indulges him and his antics, the biggest smile will spread across Dick’s face transforming it from dutiful soldier to luminous beauty and…

Jason thinks it better he not know where Dick’s sleeping tonight.

He makes his way to his favorite safehouse, the one with the good water pressure and the bed with soft linens and the book he got halfway through before a sting operation had him spending more time on the other side of the city. He takes off his helmet, jacket, and armor once he’s safe inside, and enjoys a long enough shower to clean the grit and grime of Gotham’s streets off his body. Once clean, Jason heads back to the small kitchen. He’s not hungry, but he knows his body’s got some major recovering ahead, so he grabs a jar of peanut butter from the refrigerator and scoops a spoonful to eat. He stands there on the cold tile, naked, eating peanut butter from the spoon in a daze, then shakes himself out of it. He cleans the utensil and puts the jar back. He brushes his teeth and climbs into bed.

He’s too tired to read but too amped to sleep and his mind turns and turns, replaying the night before him until he begins to feel the soft tendrils of anxiety over the situation he’s found himself in. His body thrums with unspent energy that reminds him of the wizard and leaves Jason feeling hopeless. He and Dick have been cursed by a wizard who made his escape before the two men could gather any useful information. Jason has no idea how the wizard got here or where he went or who he even is. And since the brief battle, Dick and Jason have made out in the middle of the Gotham streets, in the throws of passion, and everything felt right even though Jason knew it was all wrong.

Jason starts to consider.

He lies on his back, eyes on the dark ceiling with the bed sheet loose on his hips. He thinks of Dick Grayson and tabulates. Objectively, Dick is a handsome person — one need not be cursed to know that. He’s good looking; with thick, dark hair that Jason kind of wants to curl around his fingers, just to feel and maybe gently pull. He's also in possession of some envious attributes, if Jason's honest with himself. Dick's physique is long and lean, but muscled in a way that shows his body is a weapon and handled with skill. Yes, he has a great ass, everyone knows that, but it’s not the thought of Dick Grayson’s perfect ass that leads Jason’s hand feeling its way beneath the bed sheet, his body squirming in anticipation. It’s not Dick’s legs or his shoulders or the finger stripes of his costume — though they certainly help. No, it’s the thought of the way Dick’s eyes crinkle when he laughs that has Jason closing his eyes and palming himself. It’s the intensity of Dick's gaze when his whole attention is focused, the way he can make someone feel like they matter. Jason wraps his fingers around his cock and pumps himself slow at first, then speeds up to match the wired frenzy of his nerves. And it’s the thought of the way Dick always seems to find him whenever Jason is in need that leads him to his climax.

* * *

Things get weird.

Jason would much rather ignore the whole love curse situation, mostly due to the guilt and intimate shame he feels from the fact that the spell has caused Jason to not only develop a crush on _the_ Dick Grayson, but to lust over him as well.

Dick prefers to tackle the problem head on and figure out a way to find the wizard and end the spell, which has led to incredibly awkward and stilted talks.

Dick prods in private, when the comms are turned off and the other Bats have left for their tasks, a silent agreement between them to not involve anyone else unless absolutely necessary. Two hours into their normal vigilante night routine, after experiencing the frustration of rushed micro-conversations in passing, Dick wanders into the Narrows where Jason has finished dealing with a domestic dispute. They stand there, uninterrupted, taking in each other with dreams of wanting. 

“I think we should keep this between us,” Jason says and gestures to the space between the two men. Dick nods in agreement and they only further discuss the situation by deciding to ask Zatanna for help, eventually, before moving on to deal with Gotham’s problems instead of their own. Jason swears to himself he's not avoiding the situation. He’s simply being discreet.

Jason follows the group back to the Cave after their vigilante rounds are finished and then lingers, unsure if he’s hoping for something to happen between Dick and himself or if he just wants to bail. Dick isn't here anymore to witness Jason’s dedication to not avoiding the situation, which was the whole point of Jason playing the good team member and braving the Cave at all. Dick had instead ignored everyone to change out of his suit into a pair of jogger sweats and a thin cotton shirt, then made his way quickly up the stairs out of the Cave. Jason remains standing in the Cave, surrounded by Bats who have no clue what is going on between the eldest teammates. He continues to avoid conversation and eye contact with the leftover Bats, thankfully not out of character for him, then slinks towards the stairs and heads to the kitchen.

He finds Dick standing before the fridge, searching the contents for a snack.

“See anything you like?” Jason asks.

Dick pulls his head out of the fridge and gives Jason an appreciative glance. “Always.”

Jason can't help but blush.

They stand there for a bit, a comfortable quiet settling around them, until Jason makes his way to lean against the kitchen island.

“How are you, Dick? Honestly.” It’s only been seventy-two hours since their encounter, but time flows strangely when heightened by a love curse.

“I’m okay, actually. My body’s recovered from its romp with the tarmac that night and I still feel like _me_. I’m just a bit more preoccupied with certain thoughts than I’m used to.” He offers a smile at that.

Jason nods along, a bit blindsided by Dick's smile, but he can nod in agreement. It’s exactly how he feels after all. Normal, but...preoccupied. A nice, safe descriptor for the turmoil of emotions beneath the surface and barely restrained by a stoic face.

Dick seems to understand exactly what’s warring internally for Jason and he walks over to stand next to him, then leans closer when standing next to Jason isn’t good enough.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” Dick confesses. “I want you all the time. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can put a lid on it and control this. But I don’t like thinking that these feelings are a curse. I don’t want you to be a curse, Jay. I care about you too much.”

Jason purses his mouth as if he finds the idea of him palatable to someone else a hard lemon to swallow. Then he says, “Yeah, but the caring is a symptom of the curse.”

Dick shakes his head. “No, I cared for you before. It just wasn’t like this. We competed and we argued, but we know each other in a way that means I can let down my guard and just _be._ I’ve always admired and respected you, Jay. I just also got annoyed with you. But when you got hit by that warlock, and we were cursed, suddenly the thought of you not being there to partner up with me for missions or to make me laugh when situations get so serious seemed unbearable." Dick's eyes quickly dart to the kitchen's entrance to confirm they're alone. “And when you were holding me on the street with that look of concern on your face? Well, it—" Dick pauses before the leap, "—it felt like love.”

The words hit Jason like a gut punch but they make too much damn sense to his heart for him to so much as flinch. “Yeah,” he agrees instead. “It felt exactly like that.”

He then turns towards Dick and Dick grips him by the hips, pulling him closer. Jason presses him against the kitchen island and runs his bare hands up and down Dick’s back. Beneath the thin cotton t-shirt, Jason can feel the curve of his spine, his muscles, the dip at his tail bone. Dick shivers at the touch and then surges to claim Jason’s mouth with his, kissing him in a fervor. They press harder, grip fiercer, and their kisses turn messy — the outside world long forgotten as Dick and Jason weave a space of sacred intimacy. And it is there in the kitchen, with them gasping at their mouths and the hollow of their throats, while Jason feels the slow thrust of his hips against Dick and feels how badly Dick wants this, that they come to their senses.

“So, Zatanna then?” Jason asks as he pulls away. His lips are cherry red and shiny from use. Dick agrees with him while looking in a similar state, a high blush creeping up from his chest and neck from the heat and the friction.

Dick clears his throat. “Right. Zatanna. Let’s call her tomorrow.”

“Got it. Well, goodnight then.”

“Night, Jason.”

They both sound a bit off-key as they part.

* * *

They don’t call Zatanna the next day.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Jason says.

“There are bigger problems in the world,” Dick agrees, and takes Jason’s offer to avoid the rest of the Bats and follow him back to his safe house; the one with the nice bed linens.

"Just you and me then. Dealing with this."

Dick turns his head to look at Jason, a knowing smile spreading across his face. "Just you and me."

* * *

It is two months later and Jason and Dick stand in the laundry room of Wayne Manor together. They all sneak in to do their laundry, making use of the extra large washer and dryer suite, and they all pretend to not know that Bruce pretends to not know that they sneak in to do laundry. It’s all very silly.

Jason folds a pile of colors while Dick is still matching socks that came from the dryer an hour ago. He's mostly watching Jason at task.

“Why do you fold your shirts like that?” Dick asks.

“Like what?”

Dick watches Jason fold another shirt and says, “Like that.”

“Nothing wrong with the way I fold.”

“No, I guess not.”

Jason keeps folding.

“I feel like since I was hit by a love spell, I wouldn’t be so aggravated by the way you fold your clothes,” Dick says. "You know?"

Jason shrugs and keeps folding.

They have still not contacted Zatanna.

* * *

Another month goes by and in the dead of night Jason wakes up to find himself molded to Dick’s body. They had made a simple dinner together and enjoyed conversation between just the two of them, no interruptions from crime or bats or wizards. And following the dinner and conversation, they were both inspired by the spell to rise up and move to the bed. 

Now, in the darkness of Jason’s bedroom, he feels the rise and fall of Dick’s breathing against his chest. He doesn’t know if the situation is right or wrong, what with the emotions stemming from a curse, but Jason knows that he feels safe enough to talk about all of what he feels with Dick. They have already: discussed consent and how the spell influences them and the consequences and what the fallout might be. Mostly they ignore the fallout part out of ignorant hope.

So, no, Jason doesn’t know if what they’re doing is right. He only knows that he feels safe. That he feels loved.

* * *

One day Zatanna visits the Cave while Jason and Dick research a case and they feel obligated to inform her of their situation. The pair quietly petition her for help, but they’re a bit vague on when the whole affair started, not willing to share how long they've been affected by the love spell.

Later, Jason brings Dick back to his safe house again as they’ve been doing more often than not. They slowly strip each other bare in tender solitude and attend to each other’s bodies with reverence. Now that Zee knows about their affliction, they love each other like it’s the last thing they’ll ever do.

* * *

“You two blunt instruments are the biggest idiots I’ve ever met.”

Zatanna thunders at them in her fishnets and top hat, white gloved hands at her hips in disappointment. It's been two weeks since they confided in her and she took to task in finding a resolution.

“Well, that’s, like, your opinion, Zee,” Dick says.

“I found your guy, by the way. Did you realize you two had attacked an intergalactic diplomat? Who was in Gotham looking for a representative of the Justice League?? Did you two even talk to him before resorting to violence?”

Jason and Dick look at each other and think back.

“Uh, no we did not.”

Dick adds, “To be fair, he was dressed as a warlock. And he was ruining the street with his electrical...aura.”

"That's just his natural presence!"

“Is he gonna break the spell, then?” Jason interrupts. “Or do we need to say sorry first?”

Zatanna throws up her hands then storms out of the Cave.

“I am Zatanna Zatara and I don’t have time for your shit!” she yells, her words echoing against the surfaces to haunt them. “He’s not magical! There’s no curse! I’d curse you myself if you both weren’t already so messed up!” She turns the corner of the Cave's side exit then reels back for one final yell. “Get your ordinary, non magical lives in order!” and then she’s gone.

The words continue to berate Dick and Jason throughout the Cave, bouncing across the uneven surfaces. And when the place turns silent again, the two men remain still.

Finally, Jason says, “So does that mean there was no spell?”

Dick slowly nods. “I think there was no spell.”

"But I distinctly remember him saying, 'Curse you,' that night."

"Must've been in the normal, colloquial sense."

“Huh,” is all Jason offers after a long time.

* * *

The Bats are saddled in for a fight that began after Nightwing asked the menacing and mysterious figure destroying bits of Gotham if they were here for peace or destruction. The figure promptly uprooted a vehicle and tossed it at Nightwing in response.

It takes less than forty-five minutes after that to debilitate the foe and hand them off to the Lantern Corp for safe keeping.

“It’d be a lot easier if they just attacked the Lanterns or the Watchtower. I don’t know why they have to come to Gotham first,” Jason muses.

“At least it’s done.” Dick stretches his arms overhead and gives a large yawn. “I’m ready when you are.”

“That yawn’s pretty telling. You sure you’re up for this?”

“Up for what?” Robin drops down between them, arms crossed over his chest, his tiny yellow cape picking up the slight breeze.

“We’re going for dinner,” Dick says.

“Where to? It’s inconsiderate to not ask the rest of us to join you, even if it includes Red Hood. We require sustenance as well.”

“You’re not invited, kid.”

Damian scowls at Jason. “I didn’t ask _you._ ”

“No,” Dick agrees, “but he did ask me. Sorry, Robin, invitation only.”

He turns away to join Jason and together they walk towards Jay’s bike where they can ride off to clean up before settling in for their plans.

Red Robin drops in next to Robin and the two vigilantes watch as Dick wraps an arm around Jason’s waist and Jason places a hand at the small of Dick’s back, all done in a far too intimate yet familiar, age-old way.

Tim says, “What the fuck?”

**Author's Note:**

> I saw the words "secret relationship" in the prompt and went wild. Dick and Jason's relationship is so secret, they don't even know about it lol. Thank you elareine for the inspiration behind this _will they realize it's love??_ fic. I had the best time writing it and I hope you enjoyed!!


End file.
